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iPhone theft

Thursday, Feb 14, 2013 at 11:31 AM

Reformed iPhone Thief Explains How He Preyed on Victims

NBC 4 New York A reformed crook who admits stealing iPhones from unsuspecting victims sat down with NBC 4 New York to share secrets from the seedy underworld of thieves who stalk costly Apple products. "I can’t ever repay these people that I took their phone. What I can do is help them and help everybody else out there keep their phones," said the one-time thief, who now works with police. He said that when stealing iPhones, he mostly targeted women — "the older, the better." He said all muggers have a favorite time and place to make their move. He favored after 5 p.m., and tended to strike in bookstore coffee shops. He said crooks look for people who are distracted, and maybe holding their phones a little loosely. "There is that split second you take your eyes off your phone. That’s when I strike,” he said. He advised iPhone owners not to profile would-be thieves — "there's a lot of times I would wear a suit," he noted — and to "look both ways when you pull out your phone." Get More